■ FRANCE
Thuram transfer called off
Veteran French international Lilian Thuram’s move to Paris St Germain collapsed on Friday after the defender was diagnosed with a heart condition. The 36-year-old World Cup winner had been due to sign an initial one-year contract with the French first division side. But he told a press conference on Friday that a “heart defect” had been detected during a medical visit at the Parisian club. “If I’m holding this press conference, it’s unfortunately not to announce my signing with PSG but to tell you that doctors have detected a heart defect,” the player said. “It seems that it’s the same illness that my brother had a few years ago and from which he died on a basketball court.” Thuram said that doctors would continue their tests and they should have the final results in a month.
■ SWEDEN
Ljungberg quits Sweden
Sweden captain Fredrik Ljungberg has announced his retirement from international soccer, the country’s TT agency reported on Friday. The 31-year-old former Arsenal midfielder said it was becoming physically too difficult to play for both West Ham United and the national team. Ljungberg played his first match for his country back in 1998. “I have decided to concentrate on my football with West Ham. This is where my priority now lies,” Ljungberg said. He competed in three European championships and two World Cups with the Swedes, before being named captain after the 2006 World Cup. “The moment has come to let some other player take the No. 9 jersey. Sweden has a lot of talented players and I am sure my place will be taken by someone who has the same passion for sport as me,” he said.
■ COSTA RICA
Medford gets the sack
Costa Rica fired coach Hernan Medford on Friday as a result of their long winless streak in the run-up to their 2010 World Cup qualifiers, local media reported. “At last I’m free,” Medford said after a meeting with the country’s soccer federation chiefs, newspaper La Nacion reported. Under Medford, Costa Rica went 12 successive games without a victory until they beat Grenada 3-0 on June 21 in the second leg of a World Cup qualifier. The two sides drew 2-2 in the first leg. He was capped 89 times as a player and had been in charge since October 2006. The win sent Costa Rica to the next round of qualifying. They have qualified for the World Cup three times and reached the second round of the 1990 finals in Italy.
■ ENGLAND
City agree Jo deal with CSKA
Manchester City have agreed to pay a club record £19 million (US$37.6 million) for CSKA Moscow’s Brazil striker Jo, British media reported on Friday. The 21-year-old Jo would be the first acquisition by new City manager Mark Hughes, who joined from Blackburn Rovers two weeks ago. Jo, whose full name is Joao Alves de Assis Silva, scored 44 goals in 77 games for CSKA Moscow, including two goals in four Champions League appearances — both against Inter.
■ ENGLAND
Bolton sign Elmander
Sweden international Johan Elmander has signed a three-year contract with English Premier League club Bolton Wanderers for an undisclosed fee, it was revealed on Friday. Bolton boss Gary Megson had been after the Toulouse front man since the start of the year and is rumored to have paid a club record £10 million (US$19.9 million), beating the previous mark when the club purchased French striker Nicolas Anelka from Fenerbahce.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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